Haj pilgrimage cost to increase

Haj pilgrimage cost to increase

JAKARTA (JP): The government has decided to increase the cost
of the haj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, next year to
between Rp 24.4 million (US$2,741) and Rp 26 million per person.

Minister of Religious Affairs Said Aqiel Husin Al Munawar told
a media conference here on Friday that the decision was made in a
hearing between the Ministry and the House of Representatives
Commission VI for religious affairs on Aug. 24.

The cost of this year's pilgrimage was between Rp 19 million
and Rp 23 million.

"The government has had to raise it for economic reasons,"
Munawar said, without elaborating.

He said the cost would vary based on the three different
embarkation zones.

Those traveling from the first embarkation zone covering Aceh,
North and West Sumatra, Riau and Jambi for the pilgrimage will
have to pay Rp 24.4 million. Would-be pilgrims from the second
zone that covers Jakarta, Lampung, Bengkulu, South Sumatra,
Bangka-Belitung, West Java, Banten, West Kalimantan, East Java,
North Java, Bali, West and East Kotawaringin regencies in Central
Kalimantan, West and East Nusa Tenggara, and Banjar and Kota
Banjar Baru regencies in South Kalimantan will have to pay Rp
25.3 million.

Prospective pilgrims coming from the third zone covering
South, Southeast, Central, and North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, Maluku,
North Maluku, Irian Jaya, East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan
excluding West and East Kotawaringin regencies, and South
Kalimantan, excluding Banjar and Kota Banjar Baru regencies, have
to pay Rp 26.3 million.

The pilgrimage cost usually covers a round-trip air ticket
(Jakarta-Jeddah-Jakarta), living costs in Saudi Arabia and
administrative fees.

The minister said would-be pilgrims could transfer the money
to the account of the Minister of Religious Affairs at seven
state and private banks: Bank BRI, Bank BNI and BNI Syariah, Bank
BTN, Bank Mandiri and Syariah Mandiri, Bank Muamalat Indonesia,
Bank Bukopin and Bank Syariah Bukopin, and Bank Jabar.

Registration for the pilgrimage will begin on Sept. 3 through
Oct. 5.

The Saudi Arabian government has set a quota of about 205,000
pilgrims for Indonesia for next year's pilgrimage, which is the
same as that for this year. (tso)